W. M. Thackeray Library, edited by Richard Pearson and published in 1996, presents an array of Thackeray's writing, including short fiction and nonfiction, plus a full-length biography by Lewis Melville.

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, was published in 1847, the same year in which the first installments of Vanity Fair appeared. Brontë's novel has some similarities to Thackeray's in that the main character is an orphaned English governess who becomes romantically involved with her employer.

Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë, also was published in 1847. Like Vanity Fair, it is considered one of the classics of Victorian literature. The novel is a story of romance and revenge.

Little Dorrit, by Charles Dickens, was first published serially in 1857. Another Victorian classic, Dickens's book tells the story of Amy Dorrit, born in the debtors' prison where her father lives. Major themes...